


Conquer Together

by demon_ducks (uruhead)



Category: Game Grumps, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Youtube RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Legend of Zelda AU, M/M, Ocarina of Time AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 17:39:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7448095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uruhead/pseuds/demon_ducks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arin, the Hero of Time, has so much on his plate. After being the outcast as a child, now he has more responsibility than he's ever had to handle. It's so much, so he continues to push himself until he's past his breaking point. Maybe Dan is able to help him with this burden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conquer Together

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Battle for the Angst Crown](http://legendofgrump.tumblr.com/post/147124098566/battle-for-the-angst-crown-round-2), which the prompt was "crying in public."

Arin’s jaw tensed more, grinding his molars together and making his headache worse. His cloak wasn’t keeping out any of the rain, since it was basically coming at him sideways, and Dan hadn’t bee fairing any better dodging the raindrops, slaloming around one only to get struck by another.

“Dude,” Dan squeaked, “can we just take shelter? We can get back to the forest in the morning, the Great Deku Tree isn’t going anywhere!”

Arin glanced over, finding the fairy buzzing next to him. Dan looked up at him with big eyes, hair just a soaking sheet on his head and shoulders, looking tired and sad. He kept getting hit with raindrops as big as his head, but powered through each one with only a bounce in his flight path.

“Why are you being so stubborn? Come on, I’m drenched!” the fairy huffed.

The hero heaved a sigh before he snatched the fairy out of the air, stuffed him under his cloak and started toward the nearest building. He hated to admit it, but he just wanted to get to the forest before he sat down for a while. Something at the back of his head was just begging for him to stop for a moment and think, to worry, and that was not something that was an option with this much shit on his plate.

People were sitting under trees and awnings trying to wait the storm out, so Arin found a small deck with a canvas tarp on top of it, a few older gentlemen under it smoking a pipe of sweet tobacco, talking about something or another and figured it was a good a place as any. He didn’t bother asking if he could catch some relief from the rain before sitting down heavily on the damp wood and ducking his head between his arms. The men only had a lull in the conversation for a second before going back to talking.

It took some work, but Dan wiggled his way out of Arin’s hand. His wings were crumpled, and he had to straighten them forcably, grumbling all the while. He dropped down to the deck and fluttered his wings a couple of times. He placed his hands on his hips, standing between Arin’s knees under the woolen cape surrounding them as a secondary shelter. “What are you sulking about? You hate this rain as much as I do, if not more! You could have asked before grabbing me, too, you snot.”

The blue light coming from Dan illuminated Arin’s features, and he looked definitely sulk-y. Eyebrows furrowed, eyes cast down, mouth in a tight line. Dan wanted to hit him, though he knew the best damage he could probably do was by flying at him full-force and body slamming his face.

Arin sighed. Everything was confusing and infuriating. Zelda had trusted him to save the world, entire cities and races relied on him to be able to save them, the Great Deku Tree had been generous enough to finally give him a fairy, and yet Arin had fucked it all up. He screwed up multiple time lines, he couldn’t play his ocarina right, he’d probably doomed thousands upon hundred-thousands of lives because of a slip-up, and the fairy who was given to him to guide his way and support him didn’t like him a bit.

Dread hung around his shoulders and made him feel heavy. It was like being alone in the woods again, but instead of getting angry and kicking trees and stumps, he just sat there under his cloak. He hated it when anxiety decided to plague him, which was why he tried to keep moving to keep his mind off of it. Exhaustion was better than sitting and whining, but Dan needed shelter. Arin’s shoulders tensed more and his head throbbed. He wasn’t doing anything right. People were in danger, and he was just sitting here feeling bad about himself. “Damnit,” he growled.

Dan fluttered his wings and hovered closer.

“Ar?”

This time, a hot tear hit Dan on the wings, faltering him slightly. Arin’s face scrunched up as he tried to suck it up, stop crying –  _stop crying_  – but he couldn’t seem to stopper the flow, not this time.

“Why can’t I do anything right?” Arin shuddered at the admittance, but it was true – he  _couldn’t_  do anything right. The weight of his responsibilities and expectations pushed at the back of his skull, headache giving another painful throb.

It broke Dan’s little heart to see the Hero of Time become so sad so suddenly. He was usually a pillar of strength and stubbornness, some figure to look up to, but now he just looked like a kid. He  _was_  a  _kid._

“Arin, please.” Danny moved closer, resting his little hand on Arin’s forehead, sweeping away some hair with his wrist. “Don’t say that. You’re doing everything you can.”

“Everything I can isn’t enough, Danny… I-I don’t know why anyone trusts me to do anything. I keep doing things, and everyone keeps thinking that I’m doing fine, but I’m  _not_. I keep messing everything up. For everyone. For you.”

Scoffing, Danny floated in front of Arin’s face and swiped away a tear on his nose, shaking it off with an entire movement of his arm. “Arin, that’s not true. You’re not messing things up. It’s difficult, but you’re doing great. You know that, right? You’re helping so many people, and you’re helping me.”

“How? How am I helping you of all things?”

“I was so… I was so static. I was so sure that the Hero of Time was going to come around, that they were going to be super cool and happy and easy to work with, and what I get is you. You’re a pain the ass most of the time, you’re grumpy, but you make me smile, and laugh, and you keep me on my toes. Nothing is easy with you, but anything else seems like it wouldn’t be right. You make it so that things stay exciting, and that I’m able to venture outside of what I’m comfortable with. You’re helping me expand as a person – er, well, fairy. Whatever. You get it, yeah?”

Arin’s chin quivered as he tried to keep it together. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, grimacing at the pain, but everything just seemed to get worse. Dan placed his hand on Arin’s brow and shushed him softly. The beat of his wings was cool and nice on Arin’s hot cheeks and everything just became too much. Arin’s chest heaved as he let out a sob.

“Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t understand.”

“Arin, you’re a good person. All you want to do is help people, and you’re pushing yourself so hard. The only way we’re going to get through this is together. If we can’t get through this together, then we’re boned, man. I’m here to help you and guide you, and if that means letting your gross, salty tears drown me, I’m ready to take that. And I like you, kid. You’re like, my only friend out here.”

Shoulders shaking, Arin cried. He was sure the guys smoking their pipe across the porch were going to notice, but Dan just encouraged him to cry with nods of his head and coos. “That’s right, Big Cat, you’re doing the best you can. Don’t worry about anything right now, just let it go.”

“I don’t want to be this way,” Arin sniffled.

“Be what way?”

“I don’t want to be weak, and sad. I want to be a hero for Hyrule, and Gerudo Valley, and Kokiri Forest… I want to live up to everyone’s expectations of me, and I want to make them proud.”

Dan barked out a laugh and shouldered his way under Arin’s chin, pushing his head so that he was looking up. “Look at me, kid. Hey,” he snapped his fingers and pressed his foot against Arin’s cheek, the kid opening his eyes all grimace-y and frustrated. “Yeah, good. You know what? You’re making  _me_  proud. You’re doing a great job, and I love you. You’re my best friend. Once you’re feeling better, we’ll get out of his place and do whatever, okay? We’ll fix this. Together.”

Arin nodded. He reached up, letting Dan land on his palm. “Thanks, Danny.”

“You’re welcome, Arin.” He reached up and rested his hand on Arin’s cheek, beaming. “You’re not going to get all sappy on me, now, right?”

Snorting, Arin rolled his eyes. “If I could, I would hug you, but I feel like I would crush you.”

“You would. I feel your appreciative hug in spirit, my friend. Don’t worry about that. Kisses and small fruits will be accepted as a suitable substitute if you really feel like it.”

“A big, slobbery kiss?” Arin grinned.

“Wait – no, that’s not –  _Arin!_ ”

 


End file.
